Hi Merri Ellen
I have suffered depression off an on since I was 16 years old. Only recently did it get so severe that my doctor stepped in on a routine visit. I was put onto Mental Health services and tried several antidepressants. I had a severe reaction to 2 different SSRI's where I became suicidal and went down hill very quickly. They then put me on a Tricyclic that did work but only for 3 months as the effectiveness wore off. I was then put on a couple more antidepressants to no avail. I was on a cocktail of different drugs but things were not getting any better.
On top of trying to deal with depression I was suffering from emotional trauma from being present in a major earthquake (twice) where many lives were lost. I have since moved out of that city as my nerves can no handle the aftershocks any more. It is quite painful to leave my home behind but things have improved slightly.
I began to research ways in which I could help myself more as I was not getting any better with antidepressants and the doctors were at a loss.
I have put in place the first 4 steps of your tips and can already see an improvement. I no longer cry all the time and I can handle things that were upsetting before. I am sleeping better and have more motivation to exercise again.
Thank you so much for collating all this research that has proven helpful to you and others. You have made life so much easier and less painful for a lot of people.
ANSWER:
Fantastic!!! Thanks for sharing!! I myself go through this research and revisit it over and over to keep me on the right path.
There is hope! You are worth it!
Merri Ellen :)